Slowly but steadily...

What was started has to be finished and add to that the old Tamil adage "erumbu oora kallum theiyum" which translates to "as the ants keep walking even stones smoothen", the ant that is yours truly got to work.

The house is finally done on the inside except for closets. We have none. So for now we are still living out of piles of clothes on the floor and in garbage bags or suitcases. 

As for the outside of the house is concerned, we are still waiting for a sewer tube to be replaced. Don't even get me started on the changing city requirements! 10 years ago we installed this thing brand new with ABS pipe because that was the "code"! Now we did not touch anything connected to this sewer cleanout but the new "code" is PVC! So we have to change that clean out tube before we can get a final permit. That said, changing that tube means the area is going to be dug out. So no point landscaping there.

The front of the house looked like a garbage dump for the most part of the last 5 months. Finally three weeks ago we decided to have things cleaned out one garbage container at a time. Proud to present.. 

That last picture makes it look like we are getting there.. truth is we are still far away from getting this area done. 

It actually looks like this..

Also built a stone barrier on the front, after the drunk guy crashed his car at that corner! It was more strenous to get those stones put them on the cart in home depot, transfer them from cart to car, then car to make that wall. Just a lot of manual labor, but the end result was worth it. 

Can always use them as "before" pictures! Going to work on this one hour a day and see how far I can take this with some help from the little one. She has been my one true helper in all of this! 

The backyard is 90% done. Got some help from my neighbors to get the Gazebo standing and finally finished the entire assembly over the long weekend. 

Time is the key! Have the patience. Just don't have the time.

Cannot wait for retirement! Hope it comes sooner than later.

The little one and her Violin

Last week was a busy week. We also had the little one doing her summer recital as part of Galina Andre's music school. It was in a nice theater in downtown San Jose. 

She has improved a lot, now that she plays the violin every day in school. Before she was only taking lessons once a week and practicing twice a week. Now that it is a daily thing, she has more confidence and we can see the transformation from a shy hesitant kid to someone who goes for it!

She made me very proud. I am sure there will be videos from the music school.. I took a few videos of the final group perfromances and they are below.

Glad she likes the school and glad she loves to play! Makes my day to watch her practice on her own without me having to sit there and turn pages on the notebook or be the stand for no reason!

Let's see what one more year will bring!

Life is always interesting

The last four days I have been getting sicker by the day and still managing work till it got to a breaking point on Friday morning. Simply could not get out of bed. Busy work days and no Yoga for four days did not help either.

Called in sick and slept through most of Friday. At bedtime, told wife and kids that come what may, yours truly is going to wake up at 5AM and do yoga. The alarm was set and off we went to bed.

Was still spitting out phlegm and as I walk to the bathroom, hear a car screech at high speed followed by a loud bang, a bright flash that lit up the entire house. Immediately power was out and all our emergency night lamps went on.

I ran out thinking someone may have crashed into our house itself and if there were going to be falling electric poles, the family had to run. It was also occuring to me that the folks in the vehicle might need help. 

Ran out and saw a car had missed our garage but crashed into the electric pole. I yelled out to the guy in the car and he managed to open the door and stumble outside. Kept yelling to him to move away from the car, but he was not listening. There was transformer oil leaking from the top and his car was fuming from the airbags. 

Meanwhile I keep trying to call 911 from my home phone and nothing happens. Then it strikes me that no power, no internet and it is a Vonage VOIP phone! Run back to the bedroom to grab my cell and wife says "dont go out.. sounded like a gun shot".. Told her a guy has crashed his car and ran out again and this time reached 911. They promptly send a few cops, fire trucks, PG&E and there was lot of action. 

Turned out the guy was not sober and there were live wires that almost reached the ground! Good thing the cop told me to stay back and took the guy back. After watching the person go through a sobriety test and being taken away in handcuffs, then came the tow trucks, the spill cleanup crew, and more cops. Finally went to bed at 3AM knowing power was not going to be restored anytime soon. 

Went to one of the guys and asked him "can I take my car out of the driveway in a few hours?" and he gives me the look! 

They had put some absorbent stuff all outside our driveway to get all the stuff that leaked from the blown transformer. 

So yoga in the morning was out. Yoga in the afternoon was also out. Finally got out of the house for an evening class and came back feeling good. We still did not have power and the wife wisely adviced me to shower at BYSJ before coming home. 

After 18 plus hours of non stop work, the guys got power back to us 20 mintues ago! 

Thanked the guys for their service. These guys are our true heroes!

Life is always interesting in the Narayanan household...